There is a very extraordinary meme which Blairites keep raising in the Commons debate, that it is “abusive” or “undemocratic” for Labour MPs to face deselection by their members.
In the SNP, there is never any automatic reselection for anybody. You are selected for one term and have to be renominated for another term, where you can be opposed. Indeed deselection happens quite often in the SNP without drawing any comment at all. If the members aren’t happy with your performance, they will get in someone else.
It is remarkable that Labour MPs feel that they should have a job for life, whether the constituency members are happy with your performance or not. If Labour party members decide they do not want an extreme right winger like Stella Creasy or John Mann to represent them, why is it “undemocratic” to get rid of them at the end of the term for which they are elected? Individuals do not own the party, and nobody is stopping them from running as independent candidates or joining the Conservative Party.
This goes to the heart of the Blairite cause. It is apparently not “undemocratic” for them to take legal advice on whether they can keep Jeremy Corbyn’s name off the ballot in a future membership ballot. It is not “undemocratic” to discuss deselecting the Leader, but it is a heinous offence against democracy to consider deselecting an MP. The odious Blairites are the most self-centred, selfish and indeed sociopathic group ever to have a serious presence in the UK parliament.
Nevermind: “…one term should be mandatory for every parliamentarian”
Do you mean each one should be out after one term? That would leave them totally unaccountable. Once in, they would never have to face the electorate again. They’d be troughing away so feverishly, it would make our current MPs greed and expense-festing look like a Monk’s vow of poverty by comparison.
On the other hand, maybe after a single term they ought to go to jail for at least 5 years.
“The odious Blairites are the most self-centred, selfish and indeed sociopathic group ever to have a serious presence in the UK parliament.”
I’ll second that. They almost killed socialism in the Labour Party. Now there is a chance, albeit slim as yet, that Jeremy Corbyn might lead the party back to its grass roots. Whatever the vote tonight (and MSM are bigging up Cameron, surprise, surprise) let all Labour MPs know that the surge in membership is due to disillusionment with the warmongers. If anybody votes for Cameron’s war we will know. Such MPs do not belong to a party whose first MP was a pacifist. They will hopefully be deselected by their constituency members.
Glenn, off course this one term choice they are making by placating their policies to the electorate can only be achieved in a fair disproportional electoral system.
How many bombing runs over Syria have US, France and other coalition members made over Syria since the Russians brought in their latest SAM systems, following the Turkish back stabbing event? Some voices on the net are saying none. In those circumstances I can’t see RAF Tornados from Cyprus taking the direct route to Raqqa as it goes straight over Latakia. Leave it to the Russians they actually want to destroy Daesh. If Labour MPs want to consort with the neocons and play their dupicitous games, deselection seems a relatively mild downside to the treatment their fellow collaborators got in Paris in 1944. I also find it deeply ironic that these Blairite MPs are said to be allowed to “vote with their conscience”. What conscience?
Glenn_uk,
Modern monks seem to do quite well actually. My Nephew is one. From PhD Maths at Cambridge, to designing Weapons of Mass Destruction in the depths of Dorset (he eventually realised there was not much future in that – so he gave it up – very common in my family actually) to a monastic life – and full ordination in Oxford (took about 6 years) – Beautiful Priory – to 9 months in Scotland (I forget exactly where – Edinburgh I think) and now he’s in California.
I think he stands a fair chance of making Pope. There ain’t much competition.
As far as the politicians are concerned – well they seem Well on the Highway to Hell.
I never fancied it myself. It was obvious I preferred girls, and demanded to be taken home from The Priest’s Training College (Upholland) after One Day. I was 10 years old.
Tony
Phil E, for your info,the s400 surface to air missile system has got a reach of 600km. Syria east to west about 860 km, north to south about 740km, meaning the system is almost covering Syria.
Oh look where ISIS get most of their weapons from !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjrdE5Q92f4&feature=youtu.be
Yes, from Cameron’s “moderates” making a quick buck !
Heh. Them Russian SAM batteries have given Erdogan what he says he wanted since 2013. But he didn’T expect Turkey to be the only partner excluded from Syrian airspace.
Ben-Hump the anti-hemp nations; “But he didn’T expect Turkey to be the only partner excluded from Syrian airspace.”
According to reports the US flights over Syria have also suddenly dried up; probably why the UK missile fodder are now being sent in to test the Russians.
“According to reports the US flights over Syria have also suddenly dried up; probably why the UK missile fodder are now being sent in to test the Russians.”
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Such relish, Macky. Are you experiencing transferred nationalism?
David Hooper,
Ms Creasy is the MP for the next 54 months. At the end of this time why should not the Labour councillor of whom you speak, and other party members, put themselves forward against her in a democratic competition to be the candidate? Do you seriously think MPs should be there for life with no possibility of challenge?
Back to Caroline Spelman.
On TWFY she declares a donation, amount unspecified, from a company just quoting the registration number. Most secretive. Wonder why?
The company is Hanover Communications Ltd. PR outfit. Net worth £2.5m.
https://companycheck.co.uk/company/03559699/HANOVER-COMMUNICATIONS-INTERNATIONAL-LIMITED/summary
The founder was Major’s press secretary and before that an Express journalist!!
http://www.hanovercomms.com/our-people/directors/charles-lewington/
After a bit of checking the full entry, it turns out they paid £700 for her and husband to attend the Conservative Fundraising Dinner in February 2010.
Loved the way Alex Salmond and Jeremy Corbyn, berated the House of Commons jester David Cameron.
The forum fool had the audacity to call respectable members of the House, (who oppose outright murder in Syria) in private, “terrorist sympathisers.”
The mask slipped and the war hawks face was unmasked, and what a ghastly sight it is, almost as bad as HRH droopy chops, but not quite.
Corbyn for onced played a blinder, when he said he’d give way if the PM wished to apologise. The House fool sat tight squeezing his bum cheeks and gritting his teeth, hoping the din would die down.
The House punchinello knew he’d weathered the storm of his own making, but his reputation has been damaged. The jester will probably have the last laugh, as the House moves to vote, on whether we should bomb Syrian civilians along with terrorists.
They’ll be no Christmas spirit or good tiding for Syrian children if they decide to bomb, only tears of pain and loss, that will be our gifts to the Syrian children this Christmas.
Take a look they have nothing left to bomb.
http://cdn1.ntn.al/600x/90/10701/opckvf1a8v9x0t4xfqmphhj1kx5v1j.jpeg
Blimey, After the death of his Mother, The Saker has apparently come out. He looks like The Guitarist Billy Gibbons in ZZ Top.
Top Man
http://thesaker.is/saker-request-of-advice-to-the-saker-community-option-a-or-option-b/
Extract
“Right now my biggest regret is that the security and privacy of my family: a wonderful wife of 22 years of marriage whom I admire, respect and love more with each day God granted me to spend with her and three children, a daughter and two boys – all teenagers. They are really the ones whom Berthet and Jovanovic have potentially hurt most. But I also can take care and protect them, and I trust in God’s mercy. But on a strictly personal level, I really don’t care about my privacy being compromised (in many ways, this makes things simpler as this is one less thing to worry about).”
“And since all you got is a crappy photo of my mountain biking in central Florida, I am also leaving you with a photo of me made by my wife in Cedar Key in November 2013. I was celebrating my birthday and I wanted to toast to all those friends whom I missed on this occasion (my wife and I were alone on that day) so we took this photo. Now that my privacy has been compromised and my face is out there anyway, I figured I could show it to you without sunglasses and while toasting to you all – the wonderful and beautiful Saker community and all my friends who will be reading this post. Thank you all for being out there and for being such a source of comfort and support.”
@Anon1, keep your projections to yourself, but refresh my memory, is it Israel or the UK that comes first for you ?
The Alex Salmond who missed the commons debate to unveil a picture of himself???
Ros
The bombs will have to leave some Token survivors.. But what they are really after, will be safely underground..and under sea.
Check out Cameron being asked to apologize over terrorist supporter insult –
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-12-02/cameron-will-wish-he-never-used-the-phrase-terrorist-sympathisers/
Reuters now running Russian allegation about Erdogan as their top story.
Martin Vickers (Con) now saying sometimes there is a time to put a hand on the shoulders of friends and allies to caution and say hold on.
Just listened to Mary Creagh. She, like many other MPs keep repeating that 7 attacks have been foiled in the last year. Indeed, Mary Creagh said, “I know that 7 attacks have been defeated.” How does she know? We keep being told this but where are the arrest reports, where are the prosecutions? I have no idea if it’s true but I can’t see that the MPs have any idea either. They are simply repeating what the Tory toffs keep saying. My attempts to quit swearing are doomed. I now owe the swear box the national debt!
I believe it was the MET police that came up with that figure after Paris. Nothing to do with the torries…….
“The Alex Salmond who missed the commons debate to unveil a picture of himself”
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Phil you’re just repeating media propaganda aimed at damaging Salmond.
Alex Salmond was briefed by the Security Council the day before he unveiled the portrait.
He then went on to host a reception for British war veterans at Holyrood in their honour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-34934781
Was going to the debate less important than dinner and a picture. He had a chance to try to convince MP’s not to vote for airstrikes.
Labour in Scotland tweeting regarding the war in Syria, almost all of them have tweeted that they have “no opinion” on the war.
Like David Cameron Labour in Scotland look like hunkering down until the storm over Syria blows over. What a shower of useless shits London Labour in Scotland are.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-silence-of-the-bams/#more-79278
Phil, it’s very naive to think that the Met released the figure. They report to Theresa May and such a figure would not be released without Home Office agreement. It still doesn’t answer my point as to where the evidence is. I am all too used to reading press accounts of raids and arrests and then later read in a small press notice that those arrested were released without charge. So again, where is the evidence? Someone of Mary Creagh’s clear intellect should not make statements without evidence.
Yip
But Alex Salmond would Never have missed today’s Debate.
Mhairi Black –
” Walking back to my office and can hear the protestors chanting #DontBombSyria outside Parliament. Well done to every one of you “
“Was going to the debate less important than dinner and a picture. He had a chance to try to convince MP’s not to vote for airstrikes.”
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Convince MP’s that’s a good one Phil, the mantra at Westminster has always been not to agree with anything the SNP vote on.
“Check out Cameron being asked to apologize over terrorist supporter insult ”
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Yeah Brian thanks for the link, as Habb would say he’s a c*nt.
Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham have said that they are opposing the motion for air strikes in Syria…
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-miliband-announces-that-hes-opposed-to-bombing-isis-in-syria-a6757741.html
… as I believe the majority of the British public are.
When it comes to the lumpen proletariat side of things, the big difference between now and the 2003 Iraq war is social media. This versus the corporate propaganda machine.
I won’t dare call the vote later this evening, but I think it will be close.
Ah, the corporate controlled media, who all want to march us off to war at each drop of the hat…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VMCQjGP6rI
Pity the transcribers/typists. They have reached 5pm.
Isil in Syria
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/22/
Creagh was saying exactly the same yesterday. The egregious Andrew Neil had her on with Caroline Lucas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06rfhd3/daily-politics-01122015